Biology of Sex Differences (Apr 2017)
Does the sex of one’s co-twin affect height and BMI in adulthood? A study of dizygotic adult twins from 31 cohorts
- Leonie H. Bogl,
- Aline Jelenkovic,
- Eero Vuoksimaa,
- Linda Ahrenfeldt,
- Kirsi H. Pietiläinen,
- Maria A. Stazi,
- Corrado Fagnani,
- Cristina D’Ippolito,
- Yoon-Mi Hur,
- Hoe-Uk Jeong,
- Judy L. Silberg,
- Lindon J. Eaves,
- Hermine H. Maes,
- Gombojav Bayasgalan,
- Danshiitsoodol Narandalai,
- Tessa L. Cutler,
- Christian Kandler,
- Kerry L. Jang,
- Kaare Christensen,
- Axel Skytthe,
- Kirsten O. Kyvik,
- Wendy Cozen,
- Amie E. Hwang,
- Thomas M. Mack,
- Catherine A. Derom,
- Robert F. Vlietinck,
- Tracy L. Nelson,
- Keith E. Whitfield,
- Robin P. Corley,
- Brooke M. Huibregtse,
- Tom A. McAdams,
- Thalia C. Eley,
- Alice M. Gregory,
- Robert F. Krueger,
- Matt McGue,
- Shandell Pahlen,
- Gonneke Willemsen,
- Meike Bartels,
- Toos C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt,
- Zengchang Pang,
- Qihua Tan,
- Dongfeng Zhang,
- Nicholas G. Martin,
- Sarah E. Medland,
- Grant W. Montgomery,
- Jacob v. B. Hjelmborg,
- Esther Rebato,
- Gary E. Swan,
- Ruth Krasnow,
- Andreas Busjahn,
- Paul Lichtenstein,
- Sevgi Y. Öncel,
- Fazil Aliev,
- Laura A. Baker,
- Catherine Tuvblad,
- Sisira H. Siribaddana,
- Matthew Hotopf,
- Athula Sumathipala,
- Fruhling Rijsdijk,
- Patrik K. E. Magnusson,
- Nancy L. Pedersen,
- Anna K. Dahl Aslan,
- Juan R. Ordoñana,
- Juan F. Sánchez-Romera,
- Lucia Colodro-Conde,
- Glen E. Duncan,
- Dedra Buchwald,
- Adam D. Tarnoki,
- David L. Tarnoki,
- Yoshie Yokoyama,
- John L. Hopper,
- Ruth J. F. Loos,
- Dorret I. Boomsma,
- Thorkild I. A. Sørensen,
- Karri Silventoinen,
- Jaakko Kaprio
Affiliations
- Leonie H. Bogl
- Institute for Molecular Medicine FIMM, University of Helsinki
- Aline Jelenkovic
- Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki
- Eero Vuoksimaa
- Institute for Molecular Medicine FIMM, University of Helsinki
- Linda Ahrenfeldt
- Department of Public Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Biodemography, The Danish Twin Registry, University of Southern Denmark
- Kirsi H. Pietiläinen
- Obesity Research Unit, Research Programs Unit, University of Helsinki
- Maria A. Stazi
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità–National Center for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion
- Corrado Fagnani
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità–National Center for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion
- Cristina D’Ippolito
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità–National Center for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion
- Yoon-Mi Hur
- Department of Education, Mokpo National University
- Hoe-Uk Jeong
- Department of Education, Mokpo National University
- Judy L. Silberg
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Lindon J. Eaves
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Hermine H. Maes
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Psychiatry & Massey Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Gombojav Bayasgalan
- Healthy Twin Association of Mongolia
- Danshiitsoodol Narandalai
- Healthy Twin Association of Mongolia
- Tessa L. Cutler
- The Australian Twin Registry, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The University of Melbourne
- Christian Kandler
- Department of Psychology, Medical School Berlin
- Kerry L. Jang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia
- Kaare Christensen
- Department of Public Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Biodemography, The Danish Twin Registry, University of Southern Denmark
- Axel Skytthe
- Department of Public Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Biodemography, The Danish Twin Registry, University of Southern Denmark
- Kirsten O. Kyvik
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark
- Wendy Cozen
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California
- Amie E. Hwang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California
- Thomas M. Mack
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California
- Catherine A. Derom
- Centre of Human Genetics, University Hospitals Leuven
- Robert F. Vlietinck
- Centre of Human Genetics, University Hospitals Leuven
- Tracy L. Nelson
- Department of Health and Exercise Sciences and Colorado School of Public Health, Colorado State University
- Keith E. Whitfield
- Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
- Robin P. Corley
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado
- Brooke M. Huibregtse
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado
- Tom A. McAdams
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King’s College London
- Thalia C. Eley
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King’s College London
- Alice M. Gregory
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London
- Robert F. Krueger
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota
- Matt McGue
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota
- Shandell Pahlen
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota
- Gonneke Willemsen
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam
- Meike Bartels
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam
- Toos C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam
- Zengchang Pang
- Department of Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention, Qingdao Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Qihua Tan
- Institute of Public Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, University of Southern Denmark
- Dongfeng Zhang
- Department of Public Health, Qingdao University Medical College
- Nicholas G. Martin
- Genetic Epidemiology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
- Sarah E. Medland
- Genetic Epidemiology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
- Grant W. Montgomery
- Molecular Epidemiology Department, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute
- Jacob v. B. Hjelmborg
- Department of Public Health, Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Biodemography, The Danish Twin Registry, University of Southern Denmark
- Esther Rebato
- Department of Genetics, Physical Anthropology and Animal Physiology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU
- Gary E. Swan
- Department of Medicine, Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine
- Ruth Krasnow
- Center for Health Sciences, SRI International
- Andreas Busjahn
- HealthTwiSt GmbH
- Paul Lichtenstein
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet
- Sevgi Y. Öncel
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Kırıkkale University
- Fazil Aliev
- Psychology and African American Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Laura A. Baker
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California
- Catherine Tuvblad
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California
- Sisira H. Siribaddana
- Institute of Research & Development
- Matthew Hotopf
- Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, NIHR Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London
- Athula Sumathipala
- Institute of Research & Development
- Fruhling Rijsdijk
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King’s College London
- Patrik K. E. Magnusson
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet
- Nancy L. Pedersen
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet
- Anna K. Dahl Aslan
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet
- Juan R. Ordoñana
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, University of Murcia
- Juan F. Sánchez-Romera
- IMIB-Arrixaca
- Lucia Colodro-Conde
- Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, University of Murcia
- Glen E. Duncan
- Washington State Twin Registry, Washington State University–Health Sciences Spokane
- Dedra Buchwald
- Washington State Twin Registry, Washington State University–Health Sciences Spokane
- Adam D. Tarnoki
- Department of Radiology, Semmelweis University
- David L. Tarnoki
- Department of Radiology, Semmelweis University
- Yoshie Yokoyama
- Department of Public Health Nursing, Osaka City University
- John L. Hopper
- The Australian Twin Registry, Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, The University of Melbourne
- Ruth J. F. Loos
- The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, The Mindich Child Health and Development Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Dorret I. Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam
- Thorkild I. A. Sørensen
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Centre for Basic Metabolic Research (Section on Metabolic Genetics), and Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
- Karri Silventoinen
- Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki
- Jaakko Kaprio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine FIMM, University of Helsinki
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s13293-017-0134-x
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 8,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 12
Abstract
Abstract Background The comparison of traits in twins from opposite-sex (OS) and same-sex (SS) dizygotic twin pairs is considered a proxy measure of prenatal hormone exposure. To examine possible prenatal hormonal influences on anthropometric traits, we compared mean height, body mass index (BMI), and the prevalence of being overweight or obese between men and women from OS and SS dizygotic twin pairs. Methods The data were derived from the COllaborative project of Development of Anthropometrical measures in Twins (CODATwins) database, and included 68,494 SS and 53,808 OS dizygotic twin individuals above the age of 20 years from 31 twin cohorts representing 19 countries. Zygosity was determined by questionnaires or DNA genotyping depending on the study. Multiple regression and logistic regression models adjusted for cohort, age, and birth year with the twin type as a predictor were carried out to compare height and BMI in twins from OS pairs with those from SS pairs and to calculate the adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for being overweight or obese. Results OS females were, on average, 0.31 cm (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20, 0.41) taller than SS females. OS males were also, on average, taller than SS males, but this difference was only 0.14 cm (95% CI 0.02, 0.27). Mean BMI and the prevalence of overweight or obesity did not differ between males and females from SS and OS twin pairs. The statistically significant differences between OS and SS twins for height were small and appeared to reflect our large sample size rather than meaningful differences of public health relevance. Conclusions We found no evidence to support the hypothesis that prenatal hormonal exposure or postnatal socialization (i.e., having grown up with a twin of the opposite sex) has a major impact on height and BMI in adulthood.
Keywords
